PELE TALKS WITH RT’S STAN COLLYMORE ABOUT HIS EXPECTATIONS FOR THE 2018 WORLD CUP IN RUSSIA

MOSCOW, 27 NOVEMBER - The host of RT’s ‘The Stan Collymore Show’ met with some of the world’s biggest football stars in the show’s latest episode, including Pelé, Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and José Mourinho. During a jam-packed half-hour, Stan Collymore went behind-the-scenes of the qualifying game between Ireland and Denmark, attended a charity match for victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy in London, and introduced audiences to all 32 teams who will be heading to the finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Talking to Collymore about the upcoming World Cup in Russia, legendary Brazilian footballer Pelé remarked: “It will be very important for us. I wish to stay in this house to see this World Cup. If God listens to what I’m going to say, at least Brazil in the finals is OK.” Lionel Messi, the captain of Argentina’s national team, meanwhile provided his assessment of Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, which re-opened following reconstruction two weeks ago: “Luzhniki is a good stadium, like all modern stadiums which are built now. Great stadium. Great to play in.”

During the episode, Collymore made a special trip to a charity match held in honor of the victims of the recent fire in the Grenfell Tower building in London. Among the match’s participants were Manchester United head coach José Mourinho, former Liverpool goalkeeper David James, four-time Olympic champion long-distance runner Mo Farah, and actor Damian Lewis. "I felt deeply the tragedy, and if I can give a little bit to the people that left us, I think I should do it. I enjoyed the day, and I always lose on penalties, so there’s nothing new for me,” Mourinho said after the match.

Stan Collymore was a center-forward from 1990 to 2001 for various English Premier League teams, most notably Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa. He made three appearances for the English national team, including at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Following his retirement from professional football, he turned to sports broadcasting, hosting shows on BBC Radio Five Live, Channel 5 and talkSport, before finding his new home at RT.

RT’s ‘The Stan Collymore Show’ takes an in-depth look at the most important events in the world of football in the run-up to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The latest episode of ‘The Stan Collymore Show’ is available online at RT.com.